2021
Barrie Police Service
Annual Report
Operational Support Services
Highlights
Operational Support consists of several specialized units including Tactical Support, the Traffic and Marine Units, Schools Unit, Court Services and Communications. This division also helps coordinate volunteer and community partnerships such as Citizens on Patrol, Collaborate Barrie and the Crisis Outreach And Support Team (COAST)
CRISIS OUTREACH AND SUPPORT TEAM
| Emergency Room Diversions |
25 |
| Follow-Ups |
401 |
| Mental Health Act Calls for Service |
1,610 |
COLLABORATE BARRIE
TOP 5 OVERALL RISK FACTORS
1. |
MENTAL HEALTH & COGNITIVE FUNCTIONING |
2. |
ANTISOCIAL/PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIOUR |
3. |
FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES |
4. |
CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT |
5. |
SUBSTANCE ABUSE ISSUES |
About Collaborate Barrie
Collaborate Barrie is a multi-agency intervention (Situation Table) focusing on addressing the onset and potential escalation of criminal and antisocial behaviour through a twice weekly, multi-sectoral discussion. It identifies individuals, or families, experiencing “acutely elevated risk” behaviour, and gives the agencies present at the table the ability and collaborative responsibility to intervene before the risk escalates.
Collaborate Barrie is not a service delivery agency or mechanism, but rather a way of utilizing and mobilizing existing systems and resources in a coordinated and collaborative way.
Community Primary Partners
Community Secondary Partners
Acutely Elevated Risk Cases Brought Forward to the Situation Table
Citizens On Patrol Program
Barrie Police Service in partnership with our community is committed to serving the needs of the citizens of Barrie by providing an efficient and effective level of service through crime prevention and protection programs
This program is designed to provide an opportunity for approved individuals to participate in the observation and reporting of any criminal or potentially criminal activity to Barrie Police Service. These volunteers become the ‘eyes and ears’ for Barrie Police while on patrol.
This program does not promote, require or ask for any involvement of members in the apprehension of criminals. The purpose is solely to observe and report – to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for Barrie Police Service.
A volunteer is anyone who, without compensation or expectation of compensation, performs a task at the direction of and on behalf of Barrie Police Service’s Volunteer Program – Citizens on Patrol (COP).
Volunteers, in liaison with Barrie Police Service, operate the COP program. Volunteers are vital to
The civilian patrol coordinator works with the Police Liaison Officer on matters dealing with the program. Other duties include organizing meetings and promoting the program. The civilian coordinator has a list of COP members and organizes the weekly patrols. Members phone the coordinator to register themselves in for a night or day patrol. Both coordinators then communicate with each other to determine if a volunteer will be able to go out for that particular patrol. Weather conditions, as well as the availability of members, are what determine if a patrol will be on the road.
We request each member to contact the coordinator to register for a patrol, rather than the coordinator calling you. Your coordinator will only call you if you haven’t met your commitment to the program and haven’t communicated to the coordinator any absence you may require.
Volunteers must be able to work in a team setting, take direction from senior patrol members or police officers. You must also as obey rules of the program as laid out in the training manual or otherwise communicated to the member.
For more information download the information package or contact the Barrie Police Crime Prevention Unit at 705-725-7025 Ext. 2919.
New Volunteer Members in our Citizens on Patrol Program
Operational Support Services
Tactical Support & Canine
In September 2021, the Barrie Police Service Canine Unit welcomed new recruit “Routs” who was named in honour of OPP Sergeant Sylvain “Roots” Routhier. Sergeant Routhier, like many others in the policing community, struggled with mental health concerns and the Barrie Police Service is honoured to pay tribute to his memory.
The Tactical Support Unit is a specialized unit that trains rigorously to respond safely to high-risk incidents. These calls may involve responding to reports of explosives, weapon calls, hostage situations, executing warrants or high-risk take-downs. In 2021, the Unit revisited their statistic gathering methods and adjusted their reporting structure to capture more detail. On average the Unit responded to 275 occurrences each month, with weapons calls being the most common call type, followed by robbery and mental health calls.
The Tactical Support Unit is a specialized unit that trains rigorously to respond safely to high-risk incidents. These calls may involve responding to reports of explosives, weapon calls, hostage situations, executing warrants or high-risk take-downs. In 2021, the Unit revisited their statistic gathering methods and adjusted their reporting structure to capture more detail. On average the Unit responded to 275 occurrences each month, with weapons calls being the most common call type, followed by robbery and mental health calls.
2021 Canine Calls For Service
| Assaults |
10 |
| Break & Enters |
13 |
| Community Service |
3 |
| Mental Health Act |
13 |
| Missing Persons |
10 |
| Motor Vehicle Collisions |
13 |
| Other Categories |
1 |
| Robbery |
23 |
| Stolen Vehicles |
10 |
| Weapons |
9 |
| Warrants |
53 |
Operational Support Services
Traffic Unit
The Barrie Police Service Traffic Unit continues to implement evidence-based enforcement initiatives and utilizes proactive policing tactics to help the roads remain safe in the city of Barrie.
TRAFFIC RELATED STATISTICS |
|
Total Motor Vehicle Accident Reports* |
899 |
Fatal Injury Collisions* |
4 |
Non-Fatal Injury Collisions* |
246 |
Provincial Offences Notices Issued |
10,742 |
*As reported by the Accident Reporting Services Database
Drug Recognition Evaluations are performed when an officer suspects that a person is impaired by alcohol and/or drugs. The Barrie Police Service had a 107% increase in Drug Recognition Evaluations. In 2020, 55 drug recognition evaluations were completed, compared to 114 in 2021.
Project ERASE
(Eliminating Racing Activity on Streets Everywhere)
In early August 2021, the Barrie Police Service Traffic Unit hosted a collaborative joint-force policing initiative with the Ontario Provincial Police and York Regional Police to address raised concerns about noisy motor vehicles that are modified and not complying with the provisions of the Highway Traffic Act. In total 65 charges were laid, and six motor vehicles were towed.
Learn More About Project ERASE
Project Wake-Up Call
In the summer of 2021, the Barrie Police Service responded to residents’ concerns about traffic safety by focusing on unnecessary vehicle noise as well as stop sign and speeding infractions in Project Wake-Up Call. This initiative took place throughout June and July and resulted in 89 provincial charges; 14 of which were specific to noisy mufflers.
Operational Support Services
Remote Piloted Aircraft System & Marine
The Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) are utilized by the Barrie Police Service to assist in responding to calls for service for serious and fatal traffic collisions, missing persons and other operational requirements. In 2021, the RPAS reached the end of life from the manufacturer and was no longer supported. After receiving a generous grant from Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation the Barrie Police Service acquired a RPAS that replaced the previous flyer as the primary RPAS and will ensure our community is better prepared for emergencies.
REMOTE PILOTED AIRCRAFT SYSTEM
Operational Flights |
21 |
Training Flights |
7 |
Trained Operators |
6 |
MARINE
Calls for Service |
51 |
Marine Deployments |
32 |
Offences |
2 |
Operational Support Services
Court Services Unit
1,028
Court Appearances by Members
The Court Services Unit operates from the Barrie Courthouse and is responsible for the security and control of prisoners from across Simcoe County who must appear at the Barrie Courthouse. In 2021, the Court Unit continued to adapt to the restrictions faced by the COVID-19 pandemic. These adaptations included increased reliance on virtual court appearances with 94% of in-person Barrie Police Officers are often matters changed to virtual in 2021.
10,179
Video Remands
613
In-Person Sessions
3,600+
Crown Briefs Reviewed
Operational Support Services
Community Services Unit
In June of 2021, the Barrie Police Service launched the Community Safety & Well-Being Team Pilot project. The Team was comprised of both Community Response and School Unit officers and utilized evidence-based research to identify high-harm and high-volume crime areas within the city of Barrie. The introduction of this new approach to targeting problem areas allows the Barrie Police Service to advance current practices and deployment models to enhance community safety by providing professional, accountable and sustainable policing services.
To help the Barrie Police Service implement a variety of initiatives to improve community well-being, Constable Keira Brooks became the Service’s first Community Safety & Well-Being Officer, focused on creating and maintaining community relationships with social services, community businesses, and local residents.
Project Bright Spot – In Partnership with the Downtown Barrie BIA and Community Leaders
The Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA) has partnered with the Barrie Police Service, the Women & Children’s Shelter of Barrie, the Salvation Army, Shak’s World and the City of Barrie to make downtown Barrie even more inviting.
Born out of a safety audit that followed a concerned citizen’s experience of feeling unsafe in the downtown, the Bright Spot project was created. Community partner agencies worked collaboratively to identify areas of concern and took action. The Bright Spot project is similar to the well known Block Parent project and provides safe places for the public to go if they are feeling unsafe.
Participating downtown businesses have undergone training on how to handle unsafe situations and are prepared to assess the situation and determine the next steps. Business owners can call police, help arrange a ride, or just offer a place to wait till a friend arrives. To find the downtown’s Bright Spots, look for these signs in the windows of participating businesses.
The safety audit also prompted the Downtown Barrie BIA to work with Barrie Police, the City of Barrie and property owners in the downtown to install string lighting in the alleys between 28 Dunlop St E and 34 Dunlop St E as well as between 50 Dunlop St E and 46 Dunlop St E.
“Leading the safety audit was a really informative process for all partners involved. I want to thank all the businesses who have signed up for the Bright Spot program and I’m really excited to see the lights go up in the alleys. Downtown Barrie is made up of amazing people and businesses and we want them all to feel safe,” noted Community Safety and Well-Being Officer Constable Keira Brooks.
The string lights add increased lighting to the alleys and also beautifies and draws attention to the area. Further, ten more security cameras have been installed in downtown Barrie bringing the total number of cameras in the area to twenty.
These safety measures add to the strength of the downtown community while encouraging the public to come downtown, support local businesses and feel safe.
For more information about the:
-
-
- Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA), head to downtownbarrie.ca
- Barrie Police Service, head to barriepolice.ca
- Women and Children’s Shelter, head to barrieshelter.com
- Salvation Army, head to https://salvationarmy.ca/
- Shak’s World, head to shaksworld.org
- City of Barrie, head to barrie.ca
-
As required by provincial legislation, the City of Barrie created and launched the “Community Safety & Well-Being Plan” in June 2021. As a key action item partner, the Barrie Police Service is the lead or co-lead agency for 11 of the 15 action items. The Community Safety & Well-Being Plan is a framework that identifies actionable steps that the community can take to safeguard its more vulnerable residents.
Operational Support Services
School Support
Schools Support underwent a restructuring in 2021, as the COVID-19 pandemic continued to transition students from in-person learning to online formats. In 2021, School Support visited 71 schools, completed 43 lockdown drills and trained over 300 safety patrollers.
Youth Diversion Program with the Elizabeth Fry Society
In partnership with the Elizabeth Fry Society, the Barrie Police Service offers a pre-charge youth diversion program in accordance with the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The Barrie Police Service utilizes this service as an extra-judicial measure when dealing with youth accused of committing a criminal offence and meet the criteria for diversion. In 2021, 24 youth were referred for extrajudicial measures
Top Youth Crimes
Operational Support Services
Communications Unit
Civilian call-takers and dispatchers work in the Barrie Police Service Communications Centre to support front-line uniformed police officers. Working together, they respond to calls around the clock in a priority-based approach. In 2021, the Communications Unit finalized preparation and planning to ensure the proper infrastructure and technical capabilities were in place to support the on-going transition to the Next Generation 9-1-1 compatible call handling solution. This included the implementation of a new voice logging system that will work in conjunction with the Next Generation system.
Phone Calls Processed by Communications
| 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| Phone Calls Processed* | 121,881 | 138,393 | 139,280 |
| *Calls processed include internal, emergency and non-emergency calls. | |||
In January 2021, the Communications Unit also began utilizing the what3words app that allows dispatchers to identify a caller’s location more easily and targeted with the use of a free downloadable app. If downloaded on a caller’s phone the app can provide a location within three meters of accuracy regardless of data or internet availability.
what3words Technology
Available for Use by the Barrie Police Service
In today’s world, knowing exactly where you are in the event of an emergency can be very stressful, especially when time is often of the essence. The use of technology often plays a large role when it comes to locating people who may be lost, injured, or require police assistance. Many of today’s telecommunications devices are equipped with features which include location services and when activated on the device, can help determine a person’s exact location.
Equipped now with new technology, when a member of the public contacts the Barrie Police Communications Centre, the call taker can ask if they are familiar with the what3words app and determine if it is downloaded on their device. If not, a link can be sent to the device, and it will automatically show them their three-word tag location. If the caller has the app on their device, without internet or data, it can provide location. The what3words location is converted to global positioning system (GPS) coordinates and will direct the appropriate form of response that is required to that exact location (police, fire or paramedic services).
The developers of what3words have taken the world and divided it into 57 trillion squares, each of which measure 3 meters by 3 meters. Each square has a unique combination of three words which makes it an easy way to find and share exact locations with minimal cellular and data signals. “By adding this free app to your android or iPhone device, emergency assistance can be closer than you could ever imagine,” says Inspector Peter Dewsnap, who oversees the Operational Support Division for the Barrie Police Service. “Our Communications Centre personnel has received training and is equipped to utilize these hands-on resources should the need arise and recognize the value it can bring in reuniting lost or injured people with their families or sending emergency resources where they may be required” adds Inspector Dewsnap.
